This invention relates to the discovery and asexual propagation of a new and distinct variety of plum, Prunus salicina cv. ‘Suplumfortysix’. The new variety was first originated by hybridization on Aug. 5, 2007 by Terry A. Bacon as breeder number: ‘PL878RZ’.
The new variety ‘Suplumfortysix’ is characterized by a dark purple dappled skin.
The seed parent is ‘96P024-003-430’ (unpatented), and the pollen parent is unknown. The parent varieties were first crossed in February 2004, with the date of first sowing being February 2005, and the date of first flowering being February 2007. The new plum variety ‘Suplumfortysix’ was first asexually propagated by Terry Bacon near Wasco, Kern County, Calif. in January 2010, by grafting.
The new variety ‘Suplumfortysix’ is distinguished from its seed parent in that the new variety ripens about 18 days after ‘96P024-003-430’ and has a dark purple dappled skin color compared to solid black skin for ‘96P024-003-430’.
The new variety ‘Suplumfortysix’ ripens about 20 days before ‘Angeleno’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,747) and has a dark purple dappled skin compared to the solid reddish-black skin of ‘Angeleno’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,747). The new variety Suplumfortysix' ripens about 14 days after ‘Dapple Dandy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,254) and has a dappled finish like ‘Dapple Dandy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,254) but the color of the new variety is a dark-purple dappled finish compared to the pale-reddish dapple of ‘Dapple Dandy.’
The new variety ‘Suplumfortysix’ has been shown to maintain its distinguishing characteristics through successive asexual propagations by, for example, grafting.